The Russian national law is quite specific, diverse and, at the same time, very fragmented with regard to the rights and interests of indigenous peoples. There are many laws and normative legal acts affecting various aspects of life and activities of indigenous communities and their representatives. The norms set forth in the documents (federal and regional laws, by-laws, acts of municipal bodies, judgments of Supreme and Constitutional courts) need qualitative comprehension, adaptation and additional interpretation. Moreover, the norms of federal laws are being updated regularly, certain articles are no longer valid, new norms are emerging. It is not easy to follow all the updates in view of specifics of the Russian legislation. The lack of translations of Russian legal acts in the field of indigenous peoples’ rights is also to be mentioned in this regard.

The materials presented in this issue will help the English-speaking researchers and law specialists to clarify some specific details concerning legislation and public administration in Russia.

Maksim Zadorin, Olga Klisheva, Ksenia Vezhlivtseva, and Daria Antufieva (2017)Russian Laws on Indigenous Issues. Guarantees, Communities, Territories of Traditional Land Use: Translated and Commented In cooperation with the UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic LawPublished by the University of Lapland

The University of the Arctic (UArctic) is a cooperative network of universities, colleges, research institutes and other organizations concerned with education and research in and about the North. UArctic builds and strengthens collective resources and collaborative infrastructure that enables member institutions to better serve their constituents and their regions. Through cooperation in education, research and outreach we enhance human capacity in the North, promote viable communities and sustainable economies, and forge global partnerships.